Over 795,000 people have a stroke each year in the United States (according to the Center for Disease Control), of which 76% result in disability, costing the nation over $54 billion in lost work and medical fees. Of those that suffered from a stroke last year, two thirds of them survived but were left with any number of disabilities including upper extremity hemiplegia, which occurs amongst approximately 50% of stroke sufferers. If the patient's hand and arm don't receive therapy immediately after a stroke, they can lose function in terms of muscle control and strength.
Research has shown that repetitive motor intensive and function activities can help stroke patients reach partial or full recovery by inducing neural plasticity. Hand therapists work with these patients to perform tasks, such as grasping an object. Patients are expected to continue therapy exercises at home; however, monitoring patient compliance out of the office is difficult, which in turn makes difficult quantifying and evaluating the effectiveness of these therapies.
Actuators can assist patients recovering from strokes and other ailments. A variety of other applications also exist in which the use of actuators can provide assistive benefits.